[Review]Sierra Nevada Brewing Co: Narwhal Imperial Stout

Narwhal Imperial Stout

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company,
Imperial Stout, 10.2%

This label is the best.

This beer is topping off my week of posts on the Cold Nights pack. It’s a new release from Sierra Nevada this winter. It usually comes in a 4 pack with a slightly elevated price over their usual offerings. I will be honest, I have had this beer quite few times already and am thrilled to review it for you now. So let’s begin.

It pours..black. Light is not getting through here. It sports a tan/brown head under an inch thick, which doesn’t stick around. First sniff, the aroma is big. Chocolate, coffee and just…booze. A little vanilla sneaks in also. The first taste: Oomph. Strong coffee flavor and heavy booziness. It’s very bitter all the way through, like bakers chocolate. I believe if a Narwhal drank this, it’d stay nice and toasty down in the dark depths. It’s doing a good job on me, I feel warmer already just a few sips in. The mouthfeel is hefty. It’s nice and chewy, sticks to you a little bit. Alcohol content is, obviously, very high and noticeable at 10.2%. This is absolutely snifter and sipping worthy. I put it in a pint glass, but it really deserved a snifter or tulip glass. Don’t drink straight out of the bottle if you can help it; this guy deserves to breathe some.

Overall, this is a great beer. I raved about it all winter to my co-workers. I like imperial stouts a lot and this one does not disappoint. I would be happy to stock up on this for the months it’s not available. It’s not for the faint of heart. Packs a real wallop and does it well, just like any of Sierra’s beers. They aren’t always the definitive example of a beer style, but they do everything they do with conviction. This is a solid beer and I’ll be excited to see it continue to come out each year. Narwhal release day will definitely go on my calendar.